Here's another Gothic Revival buckle worthy of adorning the Victorian beauties in pre-Raphaelite paintings -- and this one's even larger and more elaborate than our other example, also hand-made in the 1860s or 1870s, probably in England.

Characteristic of the style are witchy faux-prongs like talons and metalwork with a rustic look. Here the heavy gilt brass not only undulates as if fashioned a thousand years ago, but also has a rippling surface texture. Additional adornments are two large collet-set stones of emerald green crystal, applied scrollwork decorations and touches of forest green and lavender enamel. The lacquered front has darkened to a rich patina of age, while the unlacquered reverse shines so brightly golden that it can't have been worn much. If you'd like for both sides to sparkle, a good jeweler could no doubt remove the lacquer at the front (carefully preserving the painted colors). I like it as it is, but it's always nice to have a choice.

A whopping 3 inches tall, the buckle is 2 inches wide. To wear it, stitch one end of a sash or soft belt to the bracket and, at the other end, add two eyes of metal or thread for the sturdy hooks to slip through. (You could make that process even simpler, by just tying both ends of a scarf to the central bar in back.)

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